Pocket lighter



May 8, 1928. 1,669,303

H. MALTNER POCKET LIGHTER Filed May 13, 1927 Rtg. Q3-

- M3312? ATTORNEY HEINRICH MALTNER, or

. 1,669,303 NT OFFICE.

orrENBAcn, GERMANY.

PATE

rocxn'r LIGHTER.

Application filed May 13,

This invention relates to improvements in pocket lighters.

The primary object of the invention rcsides in a pocket lighter of the type embodying a wick extending out of areservoir filled with an inflammable substance and vwhich wick is ignited by the actuation of a spark-- ing wheel against a piece of flint for producing' the necessary spark, and provides a suitable cover for the wick, wheel, and fiint for protecting the same when carried in the pocket of a user, and which cover is automatically lifted upon the pressing of a button,'to expose the parts for operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel means of storing extra flint for use in connection with the lighting of'the lighter, and which are received in the body of the removable cap which serves to seal the filling opening of the tank or reservoir.

A further object is the provision of a pocket lighter which is simple in construction, easy to actuate, and inexpensive of manufacture.

\Vith these and other objects in View, the invention resides in certain novelconstruction and combination and arrangement of parts, the essential features of which are hereinafter fully described, are particularly pointed out in the appended claims, and are illustrated in the accompanying drawingfln which i I Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved pocket lighter showing the snufter cap in araised position in full lines and in a closed position in dotted lines. Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional View through the sparking device.

Figure 3 is a similar view through the snuffer cap in a closed position.

Figure 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a similar .view but showing the parts in a closed position.

Figure 6 is a detail perspective view of snuffer and protecting cap.

Figure 7 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the screw cap for sealing'the reservoir.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the reference numeral 10 designates a receptacle or container of a relatively flat shape for conveniently fitting in the pocket of a user, and which is provided with a removable screw cap 11 in the bottom wall thereof, the head of whichis counter-sunk 1927. Serial No. 191,151.

therein but has'its milled periphery extending beyond the opposite side walls of the container for accommodating the fingers of a person when unscrewing the cap to permit of the filling oflthe tank with an inflammable fluid such as benzene, gasoline or the like. The container or reservoir 10 houses a wad of absorbent material 12 into which a wick 13 extendsand which wick extends upwardthrough a wick holder 14 provided in the top of the container adjacent one end thereof. The fluid is fed to the top end of the wick from the absorbent material 12 by capillary attraction as will be readily appreciated. f

The top of the wick holder is reducedto provide a seat 15 for co action by a snuifer member 16 presently to be described.

Mounted on the top of the. receptacle 10 is a bearing block17 which supports one end of a cylinder 18 which extends longitudinally of the top of. the receptacle and which is further supported by a post 19 also extending upward from the top of the receptacle. One end of the cylinder terminates adjacent the wick holder 14, and which end is bifurcated to rotatably support a friction wheel 20. The other end of the cylinder is closed by a removable adjusting screw 21 ,which regulates the tension of an. expansible spring 22 disposed within the cylinder and interposed between the inner end of the screw and a flint stick 23 which is slidable in the cylinder and held under tension against the friction wheel 20. The spring tends to force the flint stick against the friction wheel and maintain the same there against as the stick becomes worn. When worn, a fresh stick of fiint may beinserted into the cylinder by first removing the screw 21 and spring 22, and replacing the same in the same manner. thus far, it will be appreciated that by manually imparting rotation to the friction wheel by the finger of an operator, the same will produce a jump spark which will ignite the exposed endof the wick. A person may now obtain a light for his cigar or'cigarette from the flame produced by the wick.

For the purpose of snufiing out the flame and for protecting the wick, and friction wheel when the lighter is carried in the pocket of a user, I employ asnufi'er member 16 hereinbefore mentioned. The snuffer member 16 comprises an arm 23 having a flat circular head 24; at one end and a-cap From the description.

or cover 25 at its other end, and which cover is of a shape and size to bridgeand house the friction sparking wheel and wick when in a closed horizontal position. The interior of the -cover is provided with a cup 26 of a size to fit over the reduced end of the wick holder 14 and rest upon the seat 15 provided thereon to prevent the esca e and evaporation of the inflammable fluid when the device is not in use. i

The circular head 24 fits fiat against one of the side faces of the bearing block 17 when the snufi'er is in a closed position but is moved laterally therefrom when it is desired to release the snuffer to move to a raised position. The head 24 carries a shaft 27 which extends axially from one of the sides thereof, and has its bearing in the bearing block 17. The bore in the block 17 is enlarged to slidably accommodate a push button 28 carried by the free end of the shaft 27 and which push button is normally held in an extended position beyond one .of the side walls of the bearing block by an expansible spring 29, which encircles the shaft and abuts the push button and the shaft bearing. One end of the spring is fixed to the shaft by passingv the same through an opening therein, while the other end abuts one of the walls of the recess or bore in said bearing block, whereby a tortional tension is placed upon the spring when the snuifer member is in a closed position, and which is utilized for automatically raising the snufi'er member upon the pushing in on the push button.

' The inner face of the head 24 is provided with an arcuate shaped recess 30, one end of which is provided with a deeper recess 31 for receiving the projecting end of a pin 32 mounted in the bearing block 17 when the -snuffer member is in a lowered or closed position. By pushing inwardly upon the push but-ton 28, the head 24 is moved outward against the action of the spring 29, and as the bottom wall of the recess 30 aligns with the end of the pin 32, the spring will tend to swing the snufi'er member to a raised or vertical position to uncover the flint wheel and Wick to permit of the actuation .of the wheel for producing the desired spark. When it is desired to snufl out the flame at the exposed end of the wick, the snufi'er member is swung downward against the action of the spring until the recess 31 registers with the pin, to permit the head to snap back against the bearing block whereupon the pin 32 enters the recess 31 and locks the snuifer member in a closed position against'the action of the spring 29. "@ne of the endwalls of the recess 30 coacts with the pin 32 for limitin the upward swinging movement of the sun er.

The cap ll he'reinbefore mentioned comprises an elongated threaded shank 33 for threading engagement with the walls of a filler opening provided in the bottom wall of the container, and which shank carries a fiat head 34., The head is provided with a countersink 35 for receiving a rotatable disk 36 having an opening 37 therein and which is adapted to register with an elongated wick guide member, a snutfer member pivot ally ,mounted'on said receptacle and having atcap for engagement with said seat, spring means normally tending to lift said snuffer member to a raised position, releasable means for holding said snuifer member in a lowered position against the action of said spring means to maintain said cap upon said seat, said releasable means including an arcuate shaped slot provided in said snutfer member and having a well at one end thereof, a pin seated in said well and manually operable means for actuating said snufl'er member to unseat the pin from said well for permitting said spring means to move said snufi'er member to a raised position.

2. In a pocket lighter the combination of a container, a wick guide member mounted in the top wall of said container, a sparking device mounted on said container adjacent the top of said container, a shaft extending from said head and having its bearing in said bearing block and being also slidable therein, a manipulating head provided on the end of said shaft and normally disposed beyond one of the side faces of said bearing block, an arcuate shape recess provided in the inner faces-of said head and having a wellat one end thereof, a pin carried by said bearing block and extending into said recess, and spring means acting against said shaft to cause the seating of said pin in said well when said snutfer member is in a lowered position, and for automatically raising said snufi'er member upon the manual actuating of said manipulating head to slide said shaft to move said head away from said pin to release the same from said well.

signature.

HE NRICH MALTNER; 

